At the funeral of former Captain-Commander Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Zhen came with the Ten Mianwei to pay his respects.
Not much was said. After completing the necessary formalities, they left.
After Shunsui Kyoraku took over as captain of the First Division, he submitted another request to Central 46, appointing Chōjirō Sasakibe, the former vice-captain of the First Division, as captain of the 8th Division.
Byakuya Kuchiki, captain of the Sixth Division, was kept under strict guard. This upheaval had inflicted tremendous damage upon the Soul Society. All those monsters had been transformed from Soul Society residents, including many members of the nobility.
Most heartbreaking of all was the Captain-Commander's passing.
A week passed quickly. During that time, the Seireitei had been doing its utmost to repair the damage caused by the disaster and investigate its source.
That day, the Seireitei prepared a banquet and invited the Emperor of the Empire, wishing to thank him for all he had done for the Soul Society.
Zhen did not bring all of the Ten Mianwei, only Shisui and Kamado.
The banquet still had two seats of honor, but this time, Shunsui Kyoraku sat beside Zhen. He had lost his former frivolity and seemed far more composed.
When he saw Kamado, he merely greeted him with a smile. He no longer laughed heartily and threw an arm around his shoulders as before, now carrying himself with some of a leader's bearing.
Though he was now the Captain-Commander, Kyoraku remained extremely respectful toward the Emperor. It was not just him; everyone present looked at Zhen with deep reverence in their eyes.
He was not only their benefactor, but also an immensely powerful expert, far beyond all of them.
Zhen said, "There's no need to be so formal. The Empire and the Seireitei are friends. We